Search Tift County Death Records

Tift County death index records are managed by the county health department in Tifton. The Tift County Health Department is part of the South Health District and handles all death certificate requests for this area. Whether you need a certified copy for legal use or just want to search for a record, this page covers the steps to take. You can visit the office on East 12th Street or use state online tools. Tift County death records at the state level start from 1919, with some local files that may go back further. Below you will find fees, search options, and where to look for historical Tift County death index data.

Tift County Health Department

The Tift County Health Department is where you go to get death certificates in Tift County. The office is at 305 East 12th Street in Tifton, GA 31794. Walk-in service is the fastest way to get a certified copy. Staff can look up death records by name and date while you wait. You should bring a valid photo ID and know the full name and date of death for the person you need. The office handles both birth and death records for all of Tift County.

The Tift County Health Department is part of the South Health District. This district covers Tift and several other counties in south Georgia. If the local office runs into a problem finding your record, the district can step in to help. Calling first is always a good idea. It saves time and lets you confirm what you need to bring.

Note: The Tift County Health Department may close for state holidays, so call ahead to confirm they are open before you drive out.

Tift County Death Certificate Fees

A certified death certificate from Tift County costs $25.00 for the first copy. Extra copies are $5.00 each when ordered at the same time. These fees come from state law under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26 and apply across all Georgia counties. Cash, credit cards, and debit cards work for in-person visits. Mail requests need a certified check or money order. Personal checks are not accepted.

Order all your copies at once. The $5.00 rate for extra copies only kicks in during the same visit or the same mail request. A separate trip later means you pay $25.00 all over again. People in Tift County who are settling estates or filing insurance claims usually get two or three copies. Banks, courts, and insurance companies each tend to want their own certified version, so plan for that.

How to Search Tift County Death Index

You have several ways to search for death records in Tift County. The most direct way is to visit the health department in Tifton. Staff can search by name and date of death right there at the counter.

Georgia's ROVER system is the state's online portal for ordering death certificates. You make an account, enter the details of the person whose record you need, and the state mails you a certified copy. ROVER covers deaths in Georgia from 1919 on. VitalChek is a third-party service that also takes online orders but charges a service fee on top of the state rate. GO Certificates works the same way. All three can pull Tift County death records from the state file.

For historical death records from Tift County, the Georgia Archives keeps files that go back decades. The Archives has a digital collection of death records from 1919 to 1927 you can browse free online. The FamilySearch Georgia Death Index covers 1933 through 1998 and is also free. Both are helpful for genealogy or family history research in Tift County.

Note: State mail orders sent to the Atlanta office at 1680 Phoenix Blvd Suite 100 can take 8 to 10 weeks to process.

Who Can Get Tift County Death Records

Georgia law controls who can get a certified death certificate. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, you must have a direct and tangible interest in the record. That means spouses, parents, children, and legal representatives of the deceased. Funeral directors who handled the case qualify too. If you are handling an estate or insurance matter in Tift County, you may need to show documents that prove your role.

Informational copies are open to anyone. These copies are not certified and carry no legal weight. They show the same facts but lack the state seal. Researchers and genealogists often use informational copies from Tift County death records for their work. The Georgia Rules 511-1-3 lay out the full rules on who qualifies for each type of copy.

Tift County Death Records by Mail

You can request Tift County death records by mail. Send your request to the Tift County Health Department at 305 East 12th Street, Tifton, GA 31794. Include a money order or certified check for $25.00. Write down the full name of the deceased, the date of death (or a range), and your relationship to that person. Attach a copy of your photo ID.

The state office takes mail requests too. Mail those to Georgia Department of Public Health, Vital Records, 1680 Phoenix Blvd Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. The phone number is (404) 679-4702. State requests run 8 to 10 weeks. The Tift County office is much faster, usually 2 to 4 weeks. If you are in a rush, go to the Tifton office in person.

Georgia DPH County Office Directory

The Georgia DPH county office directory lists all county vital records offices including the Tift County location in Tifton.

This page lists every county vital records office in Georgia with addresses, phone numbers, and services offered.

Nearby Counties

These counties share a border with Tift County. If you are not sure where a death was filed, check the neighboring county offices too.